A Closer Look at the BLT Group Divorce

August 23, 2010

A few months after Laurent Tourondel split from the company that bore his initials, Crain’s has a closer look at what precipitated the chef’s seemingly abrupt departure from the BLT Group.

According to Jimmy Haber, Tourondel’s former business partner, the problems began early, thanks to an initial business agreement that was “complicated and not well-thought-out.” Haber also claims that Tourondel was “resistant” to his business approach, which included developing more affordable and mainstream restaurants without the BLT name, and bringing in more “top-tier” chefs to work at those restaurants. Tourondel in turn claims that “they were talking about other chefs behind my back,” and left the group without a payout.

Both of the former partners have moved on to other projects; Haber is working on Italian and burger restaurants, while Tourondel just opened LT Burger in Sag Harbor.